It is often desirable to obtain accurate measurements of various portions of a patient's eye. At the present time, ophthalmologists use an instrument called a "slit lamp" to observe visually the thickness of the cornea, and some slit lamps are equipped with attachments that permit the photographing of what the ophthalmologist sees through the instrument. However, visual observations made with the slit lamp are not inherently quantitative, and to obtain accurate quantitative data from slit lamp photographs requires elaborate and laborious procedures to insure that the photographs are accurately measured and that the angular relationships between the various elements of the slit lamp are accurately recorded and compensated for. In addition to obtaining measurements of the thickness of the cornea, it is often desirable, particularly when a patient is being fitted with contact lenses, to know the curvature of the surface of the patient's cornea. In addition, other measurements of the eye, such as the depth of the anterior chamber, the thickness of the lens, and the transparency of the cornea, the anterior chamber and the lens are of great interest to ophthalmologists.
The present invention is directed to an electrooptical apparatus for obtaining one or more measurements of portions of an eye to provide accurate data which may be used in diagnosing eye problems, treating eye problems, and generally increasing the knowledge of eye pathology.